Emilio's Superchef Mexican Restaurant

338 E. Colfax Ave.; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 303-832-2388, emiliossuperchef.com

By Chris Walsh/Rocky Mountain News

* What: A small, relatively cheap Mexican "diner" offering traditional favorites. Emilio's also has a decent selection of breakfast items, served all day. For those with kids - or with husbands who eat like kids - there's the ubiquitous hamburger and fries. Dessert offerings are limited to flan and sopaipillas.

* How cheap is it? Pretty darn cheap. A carne asada (steak) and bean burrito ordered a la carte is only $5. Two pancakes, two eggs and toast can be had for $3.50, while a chicken-and-bean lunch burrito will set you back just $4.50. The most expensive item on the menu costs $9. Beware, though, of the "add-ons" if you order a la carte.

* Our deal: The biggest - and in our view the only - problem with this restaurant is figuring out exactly what to order. There's nothing bold or daring here, which isn't what I want at a Mexican restaurant anyway, but the menu has 62 items - not including sides. I opted for the carnita plate ($8), which features chunks of slow-cooked pork swimming in pork green chile sauce, complemented with rice, beans, guacamole, grilled onions and tortillas. My girlfriend homed in on the a la carte menu, ordering one pork (carnita), one chicken and one shredded-beef (barbacoa) soft taco ($7.50) with a side of sour cream ($1). I topped it off with a domestic beer ($2 during happy hour, which runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday).

* So how's it taste? The free, freshly baked tortilla chips and spicy salsa are among the best in the city. My carnitas plate was perfect. The pork was oh so moist, and the green chile had the perfect kick (read: enough to make your nose run). The flour tortillas were soft and warm, and the guacamole hit the right note. The tacos consisted of meat wrapped in a double layer of corn tortillas, topped with pico de gallo and a few lime wedges on the side. The pork and the shredded beef were solid choices, though the chicken was a bit on the dry side.

* How's the place? Emilio's is somewhat reminiscent of a Chipotle, primarily because the decor includes panels of corrugated steel. But the dried peppers hanging on the wall, the ceiling fans and the order bell that you can hear in the dining room give it the feel of a family-run restaurant. There are about 15 or so tables inside and a small patio on the east side facing Colfax with a few places to sit.

* Who else eats there? This place attracts an eclectic mix, which isn't surprising considering its location. When we went on a Friday night after work, the crowd included two twentysomething guys who appeared to be college students, a few single diners who looked like regulars and a party of about a dozen people who presumably work at the Capitol. One of the diners sitting at that large table: Evan Dryer, a spokesman for Gov. Bill Ritter.

* Deals we wish we'd tried: Although it will be hard to order anything other than the carnita plate, I'm tempted by the Emilio Special breakfast burrito ($4.25), a mammoth creation stuffed with Italian sausage, bacon, eggs and potatoes. The carne asada plate ($9) and the mahi-mahi tacos also sound worth a shot.

* Final damage: $22.95, including tax and tip. We probably could have squeezed in an order of flan ($2) or split a sopaipilla ($1.50), but we were too full to even try.

Chris Walsh is a business reporter. To nominate a restaurant for this column, e-mail lehndorffj@RockyMountainNews.com.